CHOICE
by FallenArchangel2002
Summary: The king cobra is one of the world's most poisonous and smartest snakes. It's Latin name, Ophiophagus hannah, literally means 'snake eater', hinting at the 20-foot-long reptile's favorite meal. Arbitrio is a leucistic king, not normal by any standards, and in the house of Black, not normal is a death sentence. So why is he the prince of Slytherin's trusted pet?


' The dog kept up its continuous yapping as Sirius meandered through the aisles of the Magical Menagerie.  
' Cages lined the walls of the shop, their inhabitants pressing up against the bars as he passed, crying to be taken home with him. Sirius paused next to a kennel holding an orange tabby cat and her three kittens, who barreled toward the front of their confinement, each mewling loudly for his attention. Sirius smiled faintly and stretched a finger through the mesh. The babies purred loudly as he stroked their chins, but they quickly lost interest and went back to their earlier tussling.

' There were multitudes of different animals for both families and Hogwarts students in the Menagerie, and Sirius had already explored most of the shop. He hadn't found a pet that suited him yet and was hesitant to enter the reptile and amphibian section, but as he slipped through the final aisles of the store, he wasn't seeing much of a choice. It was either find a pet in a turtle or a toad, or leave the store companionless, and Sirius wasn't sure that he wanted that.

' He turned towards the final section of the store, following the signs that hung overhead. The reptiles and amphibians were housed at the far end of the store, away from most of the other animals. Sirius wondered why.  
' As he drew nearer, Sirius began to hear voices, laughing and taunting somebody or something. He frowned. Whatever were they doing, bullying in a pet shop of all places?  
Sirius followed the voices through the dark aisles full of frogs and toads, into a humid area where the tanks held long, scaly bodies. _Snakes_. They reared up as he passed them, flicking their tongues in and out of their mouths. Sirius shivered and walked faster.

' The voices belonged to a group of five boys slightly older than Sirius, gathered in a loose circle around something on the floor. They were laughing and talking loudly, even kicking out at the creature in between them, paying no heed to its low, growling hisses.  
' _"Hey!"_ Sirius snapped, "what do you fools think you're doing?"

' The group spun toward him. A large blond boy, evidently the group's leader, sneered at him. "None of your business, first year," he jeered, "who do you think you are anyway?"  
' Sirius glared at him and stood taller, trying to look older than the eleven he actually was. "Black," he said sharply, "Sirius Black."  
' The boy's eyes widened in fear and surprise, and Sirius grinned, falling into the act. "Are you going to tell me what you're tyrannizing," he asked, "or do I have to get my father?"

' The fivesome quickly backed away, and Sirius saw for the first time what they had been kicking. Curled up in the center of their group was a king cobra, its hood flared and raised in a position for attack. The snake's scales bore hardly any color, leaving it a translucent, pearly white; Sirius couldn't help but think that it was absolutely beautiful.

' The reptile uttered its low hiss again, startled by the sudden backward movement. It raised itself even higher, trying desperately to look menacing.  
' "It's okay," Sirius said softly, "I won't hurt you." Slowly, he stretched his hand out to the white snake. It hissed but did not strike out. Sirius sat down on the gritty floor, next to it, continuing to speak softly to it. Finally, it allowed him to pick it up and guide it around his neck and shoulders. "Yes," Sirius whispered, "you're safe with me, Arbitrio, _safe_."

 _' Arbitrio, whose name meant 'choice' in Latin, grew quickly from a hatchling into a brilliant adult cobra. Although he remained wary and highly aggressive around most others, he trusted Sirius and his gang of misfits. That trust would be put into play when, only three years after the completion of their schooling, their world turned upside-down. Arbitrio would be found on the doorstep of the last person that Sirius trusted, bearing a note inscribed with one short sentence: "When this you see, remember me maybe."_

 _Master and steadfast companion would not be reunited again._


End file.
